Need help with barking outside ~ before I loose my mind!!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hunter is a very quiet doodle in the house, very rarely does she make a peep.  Doesn't bark when someone knocks on the door (quite the guard dog!), if she see's a squirrel outside or a cat she will but that is it.  She will go days without barking at all in the house.

Then I have to let her outside and that's where the problem begins.  

She barks her you know what off!!  She's not out 3 minutes and she is barking like a fool.  She likes to stand in the front yard and look down the road and across the street at honestly nothing and bark and bark and bark.  I am sure my neighbors are swearing at her.  The front yard is her favorite barking area. She will bark in the back yard to but I don't have any neighbors behind me and our yard is fairly deep so its not as bad.  The front yard barking is ready to drive me nuts.  I have tried bringing her in every single time she barked and all I got out of it were sore leg muscles from going up and down the steps 900 times a day.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions? Before my neighbors lynch me :-)

[Eva (Lilo and Rocky)]

could you not let her out in the front yard? have you tried a bark collar?

[Christine & Camus]

I can sympathize.  Camus is turned 2 in August and I have been dealing with his outside barking since I adopted him at 12 mos.  We have made some progress, but not much.  I am beginning to think he barks for attention, not always since some of his barking is warranted, but he even barks at people he knows.  He only barks when outside.  My next step will most likely be a bark collar, the type that vibrates and has a remote control.  He is very smart and learns quickly, except for the outside barking.  I will be very interested in what others have to say and suggestions offered.

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I would also try a bark collar. I'm sure she'll catch on fast and then you won't need it!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Like Eva mentioned, can you find a way to keep him from the front yard (restricted to the back yard).  I'm working on barking issues here as well, but my main complaint is inside.  When my girls our outside I'm always out with them so I try and control their barking there as well, but it isn't constant barking.  Just if someone walks by or something.  The one thing I haven't figured out yet is how do I differentiate between when it is ok to bark and when it isn't.  If someone were breaking in the house I wouldn't want them to just sit there and look at each other like "well, Mom said no barking".

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Thankfully I do not have barking issues with my two doodles, they are very quiet inside and out.   However, I did buy a correction collar when I got Sasha to correct her from counter surfing.  I got the PetSafe brand that has the remote and several different settings from a beep, to vibrate to slight correction.  Of course you could set it at any setting but I never let it go past 1 which is like putting your tounge on a battery.  I tested it on myself and it does not cause pain what so ever but just a funny feeling.  The collar worked amazingly, Sasha would counter surf and I would only have to just beep the collar and she would stop... problem solved.   Doodles are extremely smart and catch on quick.  Oliver would annoy Sasha when he was a baby when Sasha would just was to sit or lay down.  When Ollie was about 7 months I put the collar on him and started with just the beep every time he would start to annoy Sasha when she did not want to play anymore  It worked so well that all I have to do now is get the collar and remote out of the draw and put it on the table and Oliver immediately stops annoying Sasha.  I do not even have to put the collar on him, I could just beep it.  I think the bark collar will work for you, there are several different kinds on the market.  There are automatic ones and there are the kind like I have where you will have to watch him and do the correction as needed.  Hunter could be barking out of boardum, do you give her toys to play with while she is outside? or maybe give her a Kong with a treat inside.    The investment in the collar will be well worth it, they cost around 80-100 dollars on line.  I also have a Petsafe invisible fence to keep my doods out of the pond and garden which works wonderfully.  My doodles just get close enough to beep and they know no to go further.  I hope your neighbors don't lynch you :(   good luck Denise !!!

[KAHLUA]

Kahula is NOT a barker, if she does bark it not only startles us, but I think it startles her too.  HOWEVER, during the fall months, when the leaves are falling she barks at the leaves, but only at night.  During the day she's in stealth mode and "protects" the family and home from the falling leaves.  We have a street light that gives off just enough light near the tree in the back yard, so if she goes outside and catches that movement she starts barking and you have to go out and tell her it's just a leave go pee and she'll do her business, but she'll be growling under her breath.  Not sure is she's growling at the leaves or at more like mumbling under her breath that she doesn't get an respect for protecting her family.

 

[Sue & Willy Babe]

We have used a barking collar on Wilson and it did help.  I didn't want to but it was driving my DH and I crazy especially since it was early in the morning!!! We got the collar at Petsmart.

[1xar0x2rcx0li]

Pets Smart bark collar here, works great even after the battery wears out. Just the collar on keeps our barker in line.

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

We have an electric fence so she has access to the whole back yard and the half of the front yard closest to the house - or front yard is not all that big.  I have tried playing with her to wear her out and nothing changed.  I did try the no bark and bringing her in - she was outside for less than a minute each time - this went on for 2 full weeks and it was like it was a game to come back in!!!  It wore me out and I gave up :-(  I am going to go to PetsMart today and check out the bark collars.  She does great with the electric fence and can go without her collar for weeks and never even attempts to leave the yard or push it.  I have only had it set on the beep for a year and thats all it takes.  I am so glad I am not the only one with a doodle that does this!!  I always tell her that the neighbors are going to think she is a jerk-dog barking like that but she doesn't care LOL

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

No suggestions from me because, on occasion, we let Spud out to have a good bark.   As long as it is a good time of day -not 2am, he runs the yard and barks at sticks, leaves, air, etc.  Like blowing off good steam he comes back in the house refreshed.

We give him 5 mins and bring him back inside.    It is a dog thing we humans just don't understand.

 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Oh Spud, You are such a stud.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Ha!  He is pretty arrogant.  And struts that stuff as he barks.

Wonder what my neighbors think?  Denise??

Your Mom is my neighbor. Does she complain?  If not, let the girl talk for a few at all that stuff down the road.  She may just be saying, " Hey, I'm down here. Come play"